Concrete doesn't get the respect it deserves. Most people chalk the material up to industrial living only; but that's far from the truth. Concrete can be used in so many different ways and transformed with the use of a little creativity.
One of the more popular uses for concrete is in the back yard. Poured concrete patios are extremely popular due to their minimal maintenance and increasingly creative uses and abilities. It's quite amazing that through the use of stains and presses, a typically mundane patio can be transformed into a faux deck.
If you're looking to keep up the minimal maintenance trend, concrete countertops are an excellent option. However, maybe countertops are a little too permanent for a beginner — how about a concrete lamp? Add a dash of industrial chic into your home to try it on for size.
Images: 1. Kristen Lubbe, 2. Riley Concrete, 3. Sisters Agency, 4. Chez Larsson, 5. AT Designs
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Ercol Bar Stool
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
I love the look of that concrete patio. Looks so much nicer than I would expect for concrete!
i would love concrete sinks and counter tops. someday...
saraalana.wordpress.com
I loveeee the second picture!!
http://statementpiece.blogspot.com/
I stayed at a friend's place not too long ago that had a poured concrete patio. It was such a pleasant feeling surface, so smooth and a joy to walk on in bare feet. I'm now lusting after a concrete patio!
We use concrete for EVERYTHING here in the Yucatan! I especially love concrete counters and patios :)
Oooh...concrete bookend...nice. Those books are going nowhere.
I love concrete, but am a bit terrified of some uses due to horror stories my materials teacher told us. [DIY concrete countertops pushing their way through counters, and floors to damage the structural integrity of the joists...yikes] On a similar note, be weary of concrete sinks. Concrete is porous and without proper sealing and substrates can cause some serious issues.
You can embed objects into concrete counters. Like an ammonite fossil. Picture that!
Hmm, I feel a possible hack for the lamp.